Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1887-01-06
HOODS CHARGE AT FRANKLIN.
One of the Thrilling Scenes Of the
Battle-A Desperate Struggle.

One of the Thrilling Scenes OF the
Battla-A Desperate Struggle.
Elated by the easy victory at the outer
line, Hoods men sprang to their feet
with a genuine rebel yell as the COM
mand "Forwardw once again ran down
the lines. At the same instant q cloud
of white smoke rolled forth from the top
of the bank of earth a third of mile
away. The leaden missiles fell short,
but the iron hail from front and flank
did deadly execution. With silent mus
kets the gray clad veterans advanced to
the charge, closing steadily as file after
file was stricken down, and in SO perfect
IN alignment that even now l remember
with wonder. The smoke thickened
and deepened, till il formed q great cloud,
resting on the earth and shrouding every
thing from our view but the towering cot
ton press Blended in q oar like that of
the cyclone was the crack of the Federal
musketry. Not even the twelve pound
ers could be distinguished in that volume
of sound, though the great tongues of
smoke and fame from their braZen
mouths pierced the bank of smoke.
Il was not till the Confederates were
within fifty yards that the musketry be-
gan to tell on their ranks. A few yards
| further on, and they ran into the abattis
of locust and Usage orange hidden till
then by the smoke from their sight. 1t
was not q serious obstacle, but the thorny
brush was sufficient to break the force of
| charge that till that moment seemed
certain to sweep all before it, and in the
momentary delay the ground was thickly
strewn with dead and dying by the repeat
ing rifles of Easements brigade.
The ditch was reached at last. Some
of the assaulting columns still had
strength after the run of mile to mount
the parapet and with fixed bayonets or
dubbed muskets to struggle hand to
hand with the foe Many others of the
half fed, worn out veterans sank eX-
hausted in the ditch In q few minutes
half of those who had started in that gal
liant charge had received their leaden bill
let'either in the ditch, on the parapet or
within the works.
A gallant officer of my own regiment,
Lieut.. Cryes, was killed inside the works
while waving his sword-in that din no
command could be heard-to encourage
his men to follow. One of my own COM
pany was Drained with amusket on the
works. This was the situation to the
right of the Columbia pike.
To the left of the pike Gordon's brigade
had in the meantime driven Strickland
from the works, and men and caissons
we're rushing wildly down into the vii
age. For moment victory seemed sure,
,ut the officers on each side of the gap
lcld their men firm, while Opdycke led
lis 1900 fresh men, with ranks unbroken,
,gainst the thinned and somewhat scat
cred brigade of Gordon, now numbering
not over 700 or 800 men. Swinging around
IN each flank the blue almost encircled
he gray, and, after desperate hand to
nand melee, captured, killed and wounded
nearly all the gallant men. Strahl and
Carter, Browns reserve, now came up
too late to save Gordon, but in time to oc
cupy the outside of the captured breast
work and prevent the enemy reoccupy
ng it. Strickland and Opdycke hastily
hrew up barricade across the gap ant
Schofields line was again restored.-Dan
iel T. Smith in Philadelphia Times.